Writing Rockstars
Ella Gilliam has attended Inkspire Writing Camp for four summers, as well as our Revolutionary Girl Dreaming program. She tied for first-place in Kentucky’s 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. poetry contest and was recognized during a ceremony in Frankfort on January 8, 2026. Her poem was entitled “Hope” as part of the 2026 theme of “Equality for All, Hope for Tomorrow.”
Evelyn Lawson has attended Inkspire Writing Camp for two summers, as well as our Revolutionary Girl Dreaming program. She won first-place in Kentucky’s Daughters of American Revolution (DAR) contest with a poem about the heroics by women during the Bryan Station Siege. Her poem was entitled “She Steps” and will advance to regional competition.
2026 Theme: INKdependence
Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday
Registration Now Open
Camps run 9 am-3:30 pm M-F
Downtown Lexington: June 15-19
Downtown Winchester: July 27-31
Camp includes music, art (we're painting a famous rendition of the Statue of Liberty), drama, guest speakers, story telling, recreation, and writing. And don't forget the cool t-shirt, passionate teachers, great friends, and yummy snacks. Browse our INKthology and photo pages for camp memories from 2025.
INKspire Creative Camps
Join folks like Ella and Evelyn at our summer camps!
Celebrate Love
by reading and writing.
Unwrap stories of women long ago.
Fall in love with new young women poets. Never look at a pencil the same way.
In 240 pages, A Pencil Grows in Kentucky weaves together listening lessons, creative writing lessons, and true stories of amazing Appalachian women of Kentucky. Best of all, the book features the powerful poetry of 70 young women from our Appalachia Girl Dreaming workshop.
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An inspiring read for dreamers of all ages.
$14.95​​​
Jacqueline happily coordinates book club discussions via Zoom at no charge! Email her to set up a date: jacqueline@whywrite.org
Special thanks to Shade Hatmaker, an artist from Kentucky Appalachia who created a gorgeous cover for our book.
A Pencil Grows in the News
Thanks to Bob Hill, columnist for the Courier-Journal, for his great story about our writing nonprofit and the publication of our new book A Pencil Grows in Kentucky.
Revolutionary Girl Dreaming
Join our growing list of in-school workshops. A six-hour creative school program that turns America's birthday into an unforgettable adventure filled with stories, collage art, music, drama, and creative writing.​
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Hopkinsville, Kentucky, March 19, 2026
Franklin, Kentucky, Spring TBA, 2026
Ashland, Kentucky, Fall TBA, 2026
Students Listen
Our camp director Mizz JJ loves to visit schools and read stories she has written. A group of students at Strode Station Elementary School in Winchester, enjoyed her story Ocean Eyes about a blue sea turtle.
Writers are
shell-ebrities
